Northwestern College came up short in a conference doubleheader played tonight against Hastings, losing 2-0 and 13-7. The Red Raiders are now 4-4 in GPAC play, 13-14 overall, and Hastings improves to 3-3 in the GPAC, 14-12 overall. 

Photo gallery: vs Hastings

Game one featured a brilliant pitcher's dual between Northwestern senior Isaac Horigan and Broncos senior lefty, Andrew Kuta. Horigan (5-2) allowed just six hits and two earned runs while striking out eight in the full seven innings. Kuta (4-3) held the GPAC's top scoring offense in check, giving up three hits and striking out five.

Scoreless in the sixth, Hastings scored the only runs on a two-run home run by Luke Christensen with one out, scoring Reed Stone. 

Casey Guthmiller had a double and both Reed Smith and A.J. Nitzschke hit singles for the Red Raiders. 

Hastings erupted for six runs in the top of the first inning to take control early in game two. A three-run home run by Alex Utrup, just his second hit of the season, proved to be the big blow and the Broncos held off any Red Raider comeback attempt. 

Colin Pennings (1-4) took the loss, giving up three hits and six runs in the first inning, and was the first of six Red Raider pitchers to take the mound. Victor Mena worked 3.1 innings, giving up six hits and three runs and Zach Rosson gave up one hit and one run in two innings of work.

Joe Done and Austin Zylstra paced the Red Raiders' with two hits each. Done hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the first, and Zylstra scored two runs. Freshman Mark Primrose went 1-for-2, scored a run and had an RBI.

Will Frei (3-1) earned the win for Hastings, giving up seven hits and seven runs in six-plus innings. Xander Schmidt pitched three scoreless innings of relief and notched his second save.

Northwestern scored three runs in the third inning to get as close as three (7-4) but Hastings scored two in the top of the fourth and scored at least one run in all but one inning thereafter to prevent a comeback.